Field Trip
by TheRandomPhangirl
Summary: Danny wakes up after a minimal amount of sleep and remembers he has a field trip. Danny shows how he deals with Dash's bullying, and the trio finds out an odd quirk. (I changed the chapters a bit, taking out a scene that someone pointed out didn't fit Danny very well, more in the author note.)
1. Comfy Preparations

I woke up early this morning, or late last night, choose which you will, to my ghost sense. It was Skulker. When I first got my powers about a year ago, Skulker was an actual threat. But now he's more of an annoyance in my ever-panicked life. In another bother was Skulker's 'comments,' which were more disturbing the more I listened to them instead of dodging. And I didn't have to do much dodging as Skulker slowly wound down until it was just him sitting with his legs crossed and his head in his hand, talking about the latest installment of his arguments with Ember.

It was three a.m. and I was tired of playing match-maker for a dysfunctional relationship. I have enough of that myself with people calling me and Sam 'lovebirds' all the time. So when Skulker finally managed to shut up I gave him the advice to actually talk to Ember for once. He seemed to listen because he sat there in the air for a moment longer before zooming off in the direction of my house.

I gave a sigh of relief before racing that way myself. I flew, literally, through my window before mentally pushing down the cool swirl of ice I could feel in my chest. There was a certain pang of anxious regret as I thought of how I couldn't do what I want in my own house while my parents are home. I tried to push the thought from my head as I pulled the navy star-embroidered covers over my head for whatever shut-eye I could manage.

It was all too soon when the rays of sun peeking over the houses across the street started prickling at my eyelids. I flipped over in an attempt to avoid them, but my alarm was having none of that as it went off. The superhero theme that one of my classmates uploaded to youtube for my alter-ego blared in my ears. Tucker had somehow reprogrammed by digital alarm clock last month to play that tune, and I haven't had the time, patience, or really even the want to change it back yet.

Anyways, it was a fairly calm morning. Besides the rude wake-up call, though. I kinda wished my Mom could still wake me up in the mornings as she did when I was in middle school, but I'd had to lie to her after the accident saying I wanted to give her a break because I couldn't risk her walking in on me in the mornings if I did anything ghostly. My abilities always act up when I'm half asleep, evidenced by the many times my arm has turned intangible in class and my head smacked into said desk.

I had just enough time to grab a much needed shower, I usually take one at night, but you know how that goes, and pour myself a bowl of cereal. That was when my scatterbrained head remembered I had a field trip today, and I was told to bring swim trunks. My mood lightened a bit more from the, in comparison to most mornings, elated feeling I'd had. I've always liked swimming. I used to think that it was the closest I'd ever get to antigravity until I was an adult. Boy, was I wrong.

And so with a lightness in my chest, I grabbed my ever-trusty purple bookbag, a tank-top, a pair of swim trunks, that I'd actually gotten to pick myself, this time, and a towel. Normally right then was about the time that Jazz would offer to take me to school, but she had some thing at the local community college, and so I had to transport myself. It wasn't really that hard, after all. I locked the door to the house behind me after pulling on my sneakers and ducked into the alley beside our house. The hulking metal monstrosity of the Ops Center was enough to draw any curious eyes from the flash of light I caused.

The morning air wiped away the last dredges of sleep as I soared through the sky. I started thinking about what exactly happened to my bag when I transformed. I mean, it's always there again when I change back, and everything is as though nothing happened. For example, right before I landed, I flew in a wild loop. The when my feet touched the ground, I changed back and opened up my lunch that Jazz had made for me. A can of my favorite kind of pop was in it, and when I popped the tab and there was nothing but a small hiss. It didn't explode into a frothing mess like it'd have done if I was holding it in my hand during the wild ride.

I was shaken out of my scientific self-ramblings by the warning bell. I gulped the drink down in a few sips, a small chorus of 'Chug! Chug! Chug!' could be heard as I rushed through the hall, and managed to make it to my seat with a moment to spare. Ms. Frederich walked though the door and went to close it just as Tucker ran through, panting. The bell rang just as his foot crossed the threshold. Ms. Frederich gave him a warning look as she said for him to sit down. She began her usual scientific ramblings and the class lost all interest. Suddenly I felt something touching my arm. I had been so absorbed in getting my math homework done for next period that I'd forgotten about Tucker sitting next to me. He was looking at me with a stupid grin and an even stupider paper origami claw on his index finger.

"Aren't you gonna ask why I was almost late?" Tucker whispered from the neighboring stool.  
"Were you reprogramming my clock again?" I replied snarkily. Tucker just rolled his eyes before continuing with what he was going to tell me no matter my answer.  
"I finally beat Doomed solo!" He yell-whispered. Don't ask me to describe it any further, that's the best way to say how he said it. At my eye-roll, Tucker scoffed.  
"I beat it solo a month ago." I replied with a grin. Before that, Tucker and I had only completed it once together. The way the game works is a bit weird, you can beat it and collect all the keys and stuff, but at any time you can start going after the keys again, and the challenges reset. Over time it gets easier, especially if you do it in a party. But, thanks to my 'cheat' I was able to use my abilities, and that made the game a lot easier.  
"No fair. You cheat." Tucker huffed at me and turned to his PDA.  
"It's called skill, actually." I smirked. Nothing was more entertaining than a riled up techno-geek. But sadly Tuck didn't take the bait and went back to the visible line of code on his PDA. He stuck his earbuds in his ears and turned to look at the teacher.

Lucky for him, when Ms. Frederich looked at us his earbuds were hidden by his beanie and the hood of his jacket. Unluckily for me, however, I was looking at him when this happened.  
"Mr. Fenton." She said sternly, and a silence fell over the room. "Please face the front and pay attention like everyone else." She scolded me. When she turned her back I glowered at her. Really, just how oblivious could one person be? It took all I could to not allow my eyes to flash green at her in anger. I'd never forgive myself if I did. But that thought sent me into another self-tangent.

What would really happen if everyone knew? I mean, the only real threat would be the GIW, but considering most of their weapons are either duds or have obvious flaws, they wouldn't be so eager to attack me. Then my parents. Thinking of telling them my secret usually left a bad taste in my mouth. On one hand, they might be forgiving and accepting. On the other, they might not believe me and think I'm being overshadowed or try to 'cure' me of my ghost half. They accepted me before in the whole reality gauntlet fiasco, but that was a different situation that was a lot more stressful and didn't allow as much clear thought to be had. They were a loose cannon that would be sure to go off if I told them, I just had no idea where they were aiming.

I was shaken out of my musings by Tuck nudging me in the ribs. I snapped back to reality to see that most of the class was gone, and the next class was walking in. I grabbed my bag and set off down the crowded hall after Tucker. The next class was Social Studies, and it passed without a hitch. Next thing I knew an announcement rang over the speakers telling all freshmen who'd gotten a signed permission slip to head to the gym.

Teens scrambled past each other in a dash to the door, and over half of them stopped by their lockers to grab extra bags. I followed after Tuck as he stopped at his own locker until I spotted Sam, who was skulking. I wandered over to her and stood behind her locker door. When she opened it and saw my face she jumped a bit.  
"You scared me half to death!" She exclaimed. I couldn't miss the opportunity.  
"I thought that was my schtick." I grinned. She only scoffed in response before grabbing her bag off of the floor. It was shaped like a seashell and was a neon green that matched the print on Sam's skirt.  
"Green, huh?" I looked at her with a small smile and my eyebrows raised. Knowing that no one was looking, I let my eyes flash for a moment, the exact same color as the bag. I received a punch to my left arm for my 'hypothesis'.  
"Hey, I'm just wondering if there's a connection," I said innocently. Sam didn't buy it for a second and I could see it in her eyes that she was holding back from punching me again.  
"You always resort to violence when I point things out." I tilted my head to the side slightly and I could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. Her cheeks sure were red enough.  
"Lookey, the goth lovebird is aaaangry." Came a taunting voice.

I whipped around and looked up to see Dash's face. The now 15-year-old had gotten taller over the summer, and was still taller than me after my own growth spurt. It was ironic, when I though about it. He hero-worships one part of me, and then shoves the other part of me into a locker the next moment. What I wouldn't give to not have morals just long enough to make him pay. But I couldn't do that.  
"Why don't you go pick on some one weaker than you." Sam's redirected anger voiced in my ears.  
"I thought that's what I was doing." Dash gave her a menacing grin before I felt a yank on the back of my shirt. My feet lifted off of the ground and I could smell Dash's horrid breath in my face.  
"Isn't that right, Fenturd?" His breath reeked of a smell not too unlike sweaty gym socks. It was disgusting.  
"Put me down, Dash." I ordered. He only lifted me higher in response. I could hear Tucker's sighs from his locker, he's the one saying i should get Dash back for the almost daily time I spend crammed in my locker. At least I'm one of the few who actually keeps mine clean. I was pulled in a different direction as Dash pounded over to my locker and started to unlock it. My guess is he ordered one of the nerds to figure out the code for him. Dash turned the combination lock with practiced ease and before I knew it, the door was swinging open.  
"Put me down!" I ordered again. I knew Dash wouldn't listen. It was all just for show. I'd be back over with Sam and Tuck talking like normal in a minute or so after he left. The hold on my shirt shifted and my back slammed into my winter coat that I'd started keeping in there to make it more comfortable for a few minutes while i waited for Dash to walk away. Thank goodness for intangibility.  
"Nighty night," Dash said creepily with a grin and slammed the door.

How is it that I'm the half-dead one, and yet all the kids at my school are weirder than me? I really was starting to get tired of this. My aforementioned growth spurt was both a good and bad thing. The bad part is that now it's even more cramped whenever Dash decides to come after me. I've had quite a few shirts that were stretched so much that they'd look ridiculous to wear again. I shifted in the space and listened. This was one f the few times Dash didn't choose to immediately walk away. Instead, he and the other A-listers, most just as creepy as he, were 'socializing' and I could tell that Dash was leaning up against my locker. I couldn't chance flying out when Dash could have a chance of seeing me. And so i shifted a bit more and got comfortable. I grabbed my phone from my little shelf and turned on my overhanging lantern. Who said I couldn't be comfortable? I put in my password, which was no longer 'Paulina Fenton' (I learned my lesson) and looked at my notifications. Most were just about emails I'd gotten from Doomed telling me about the deals and stuff, but there was a text from Sam.  
Sam: 'You still in there?'  
Me: Yep, Dash hasn't walked away yet

It was a minute before she responded.

Sam: Want us to get him to go away?  
Me: Nah, I'll just wait it out  
Sam: Don't blame me when you get a knot in your back  
Sam: We're heading on over to the gym, k?  
Me: K, cya soon

With that I settled back into my coat. Sam was right, I'd get a crick in my back after long, but I didn't want to trouble them. Besides, Dash'd have to go away in a minute to go to the assembly."  
"What are you still doing out here? Go on to the gym." I heard Mr. Lancer's muffled voice come from the hall. A grumbling of remarks and the sound of shuffling footsteps and i gave a sigh of relief. That was, until the locker door opened abruptly and i fell forward onto my face. I just _had_ to get a top locker. I got to my knees and tried to rub away the now-forming headache. I saw a shadow and looked up to see Mr. Lancer.  
"Are you ok?" He asked, and held out his hand. I took it gratefully and got to my feet. He shocked me a bit. Usually no one bothered or noticed i was gone until class, before I got my powers. there was one time that Sam and Tuck were both sick and I was stuck in there until the janitor came down the hall after school had ended. Just my luck I'd gotten a detention for 'skipping class.' Although it's likely would have happened today if not for my power, or Mr. Lancer.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied after a moment.  
"Thanks." I added. Mr. Lancer gave a small nod to me before heading to the gym. I walked behind him and tried not to look like I was following him, even though we were going to the same place. it was a bit awkward until we got to the gym.

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AN: I changed this chapter's end a bit after reading it over, thanks to the review by 'Chuck Formula.' I agree that the previous events were a bit out of character for Danny, and I think this fits much better.


	2. Ghostspeak or no?

I sat down with Sam and Tuck, who'd saved me a spot between them. I looked down at the gym floor and saw Mr. Lancer taking a clipboard from one of the other teachers, and then groaning. Ever since the end of freshman year, the teacher had seen the 'error of his ways,' and started punishing Dash properly. Needless to say, that made the jock even angrier. But then again, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. From the small glimpses of the time screens I had gotten in my visits to Clockwork, I'd seen enough to know that Dash's life wasn't likely to be headed towards the NBA or whatever the pro football organization is.

Miss Ishiyama took her place in the middle of the gym floor with a mic in hand.  
"Today you will be going to the pool. Do not be mistaken, this field trip is for learning purposes only. Any rough-housing will not be tolerated, and if you do so, you will get an after-school detention. Anyone here who hasn't had their permission slip signed, please leave now or you'll get a demerit." A small handful of students grumbled and picked up their bags before stomping back to their classes. I was grateful for my parents' latest invention blowing up. If it hadn't they'd have worked the whole night away and I wouldn't have been able to get their attention long enough to get Mom to sign.

"Now, when your name is called, walk over to the teacher who says it. They'll lead you to your bus." Miss Ishiyama finished. Mr. Lancer, and Ms. Tetslaff, along with two other teachers I didn't recognize, picked up their clipboards. Mr. Lancer spoke first.  
"Dash Baxter, Kwan Chang, Star Shores, Paulina Sanchez, Micheal Carter, Allison Muskrat, Taylor Smith..." One by one the students got down from the bleachers to join the slightly overweight teacher. He paused his listing for a moment before continuing. "Samantha Manson, Daniel Fenton, and Tucker Foley." We smiled at each other before scrambling for our bags and joining our favorite teacher on the gym floor. The other three teachers read out their lists and only a few students were left awkwardly on the bleachers. Ms. Ishiyama stayed behind while Ms. Tetslaff hoarded her group out the door, and the other teachers followed suit.

"Of all the groups." I heard Mr. Lancer grumble as he glared at the four A-Listers who were put in his group. I tried and failed to hold in a chuckle. Mr. Lancer's glare turned to me as we walked down the sidewalk towards the buses. His gaze made me uncomfortable and I instead turned to look at Tucker, who seemed to be testing something on his PDA. Sam bumped into me from the side and that got my attention as I was almost pushed off of the sidewalk. She doesn't know her own strength sometimes.  
"Watch it, Sam," I grumbled as I tried to get my balance back. And believe me, that was hard. Spending so much time without having to worry about gravity had started to tear down at my ability to keep my balance. Tuck saw my stumbling and grabbed my arm to help me steady.  
"Thanks," I said.  
"Is something wrong?" Sam asked, a hint of concern in her voice.  
"Nah. I just wish we hadn't gotten stuck with Dumb and Dumber." I gestured behind us by pointed over my shoulder.  
"Which set?" Sam chortled as she reached for the bus handle and started up the few steps. I wasn't able to reply as the previous murmurs of conversation turned up to a dull roar and I could barely hear myself think. Tucker didn't seem to be bothered. Truth be told, I hadn't ridden a bus since the beginning of freshman year. It was a bit of a culture shock.

Sam easily slipped into a seat towards the middle of the bus, where Tuck and I followed suit. I sat myself down by Sam, and I expected Tucker to sit in another seat nearby, but he didn't.  
"Scooch, lovebirds." He smiled and made a motion with his hands. I stuck my tongue out at him but scooted over anyways. It would've been a bit awkward if it was just me and Sam anyways. Though there was plenty of that to go around as my side was pushed into her's. We just managed to all sit in the same seat, and the rest of them filled with duos. Soon they were all full. If we hadn't all sat together, then one of us would've had to sit with someone else. Smart thinking on Tuck's part. I looked to my left and saw my techno-geek friend pulling his PDA close to his chest and glaring at an offender who had tried to squeeze through the aisle past him. Sam took no mind to the spectacle; she had already zoned out with her earbuds inserted.

I took a peek at her iPod shuffle. Outdated, I know. I'd forgotten how old the tech was until I noticed it didn't have a screen. I'd have to find out what she was listening to another way. Letting a smirk cross my features and stupidly not thinking of how the goth would react, I pulled on the cord of one of the earbuds and stuck it into my own ear. I felt Sam jump beside me. I listened for a moment to the song and closed my eyes. The song was Ember's 'Remember.' I looked at Sam with a raised eyebrow. My goth bestie had seemed to have nothing but loathed the rock and roller. She pushed the pause button and glared at me for a moment before ripping the earbud from my ear and wrapping the cord around the ancient music-player. Sam sighed before turning back to me.  
"She uploaded it to Youtube, ok? And the Ghostspeak version actually sounds cool, even if I don't understand." Sam crossed her arms after punching me in the shoulder and stared out the window, where the other buses could be seen starting to trundle out of the parking lot.

I was a teensy bit stunned for a moment.  
"Wait, that was ghostspeak?" I asked incredulously. Sam stared at me oddly for a moment.  
"That's what I just said, wasn't it?" She raised an eyebrow before the realization seemed to hit her.  
"Are you telling me that you couldn't tell the difference?" She asked with a slight grin and hint of sarcasm. Suddenly Tucker popped into view having finished his own issue.  
"What's going on?" He asked with curiosity.  
"Danny can't tell the difference between Ghostspeak and English!" She exclaimed.  
"Q-Quiet down! Someone could hear you." I scolded, the green rising on my cheeks. I looked around at the people sitting around us. None of them were paying attention to our conversation. Yet.

"You're too paranoid." Tucker pulled his PDA away from its safe space against his chest and started playing his own version of Pong. He'd coded it a few years ago and still liked messing around with it and adding things to it. Right now it was in one player mode, and there were six rainbow-colored paddles. They almost covered the entire right half of the screen. Six also rainbow colored pixels bounced across the screen in sync, and Tucker tried to bounce each of them back. I was mesmerized until a hand waved in front of my face.  
"Earth to ghost boy." Sam exasperated. I snapped out of my trance and turned my attention to her.  
"There you are. Mind translating this song? I want to listen to the English version but I'm not sure which one it is and I don't feel like going through the hundred something videos just to figure it out." She held the earbud out to me, the cord now sufficiently untangled, though there were still a few kinks in it.  
"What do I get in return?" I asked ruefully. Sam looked at me with a look that could only be described as 'Really.'  
"Kidding! Kidding, don't get your cape in a bunch." I smirked at the memory of the day we went to the water park and she had worn just that. I took the earbud from her hand and put it in my ear. Sam kept the other. She went to push start, but I thought of something, how was I gonna record what the lyrics said?  
"Have a piece of paper?" I asked.  
"Oh, duh." Sam facepalmed and reached into her seashell bag. She handed me a small notepad and a sparkly black pen. I flipped the pad to its first free page and gave Sam a nod.  
"Ready when you are," I said. Sam complied and pressed play. Suddenly a tune filled my head. The guitar and the vocals seemed to meld together like an ocean of caramel. I lost all awareness of what was going on. All I could see was my hand holding the pen like I'd gotten tunnel vision. The only sound I could hear was the sweet words that were my whole world. The music rose and fall and the words rang out clearly in my ears, as though they were in my mother tongue, though they were not.

Without knowing it my hand slipped across the page, the pen moving with ease. All of a sudden I felt something on my head and the earbud being pulled out of my ear. I blinked out of my trance.  
"Danny!" The voice warbled into my ears, and with a sharp pinch, the world snapped back into focus. The world cleared and I was staring at the ground. I could clearly feel a hand on the back of my head. Then I noticed a faint greenish tinge to the notepad still in my hands. I blinked and the tinge went away. I looked to my left and Tucker was looking at me with a worried look. I caught his eyes and I felt the hand lift. I straightened up and saw that both of my friends were looking at me with concerned faces.

"What just happened?" I asked. That was when a throbbing pressure in the front of my head made itself known. I reached my hand up to rub my head but Sam was gripping my wrist as if holding on for dear life. She quickly released her hold when she felt me tug on my wrist.  
"You started writing, but then your face went blank and your eyes turned green," Tucker explained in a hurried whisper. That was when I noticed that there was a certain stillness in the air. I looked out the window on my right and a familiar building came into view.  
"What do you remember?" Sam asked, concern plain in her voice.  
"I..." I started. Really I didn't remember much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
AN: Please let me know what you think! Still not quite sure where this is going. Sorry if you were triggered on my comment pertaining to sports, I couldn't remember, and when I did I couldn't bring myself to change it. (It's actually the NFL)


	3. Finally Getting There

I couldn't even remember the words, they'd seemed so clear before. That was when I looked down at the notepad. There were scrawling symbols all across the page, and yet I could tell exactly what they meant. Sam followed my gaze.  
"Is that in Ghostspeak?" She asked. It made sense that it was, I just couldn't really wrap my head around writing in a language other than English without even thinking about it.  
"I guess. Can either of you read it?" Two head shakes. I tore out the page and set it on my lap above the clean sheet. As I translated, I tried to think of the words to explain. After all, Sam and Tuck were still looking at me expectantly.  
"I guess I just kinda lost myself. It was like nothing existed but the music and the pen." I explained as I continued translating. Using my left hand I tried rubbing my forehead to get the headache to go away. It kinda worked.  
"Do you have any Tylenol or somethin?" I asked, jotting down the last word. Sam nodded and reached into her seashell bag.  
"You got a headache?" She asked as she did so. I nodded and she set two small pills in my palm.  
"You know they won't work for very long, right?" Of course, I new that, my higher metabolism on the account of how much energy my ghost side needs has been the bane of my existence the few times I've been sick since the accident.  
"Yeah," I replied weakly. It hurt when I nodded. I swallowed the pills dry.  
"Are you sure that's all you remember? Any did why your eyes change?" I was about to answer Tucker when the bus suddenly stopped and the brakes screeched. Sam, who was prepared for the stop, had her hands on the seat in front of us to stop herself, as did I. Tucker, however, wasn't and he slammed into the seat in front of us and his PDA flew out of his hands.  
"NO!" Tucker screeched and leaped into the aisle. His hand shot out and closed around the plastic right before Star stepped into the aisle.  
"Watch it!" Star exclaimed. Her foot was hovering just above Tucker's hands. I didn't hear what Tucker said to her but she scoffed and stepped over him. Tucker scrambled to his feet and grabbed his own bag from the floor where he'd been sitting.  
"You ok, Tuck?" I asked as I got to my own feet and slung my backpack over my shoulder.  
"It's my PDA you should be worried about!" He cradled the technology close to his chest as he walked through the aisle. I could practically feel Sam's eyeroll behind me.

"But yeah, I'm fine. Star saw me before she stepped on my hand." Tuck smiled down at his PDA, and almost tripped over an outstretched foot. Tucker's PDA flew out of his hands and he fumbled, again. The PDA fell out of his hands completely and began to soar through the air. A pale hand caught the tech out of the air.  
"Watch your step, nerd." Dash ridiculed as he shoved his way into the aisle in front of Tucker. The bully practically plowed his way down the bus aisle.  
"Here's your phone, Tucker." The girl who caught Tuck's PDA said as she handed it to him.  
"Thanks." Tuck gave a small smile and huddled the tech even closer to his chest. I looked away from my crazy friend and back to the girl who caught it. I could vaguely remember her walking down the bleachers when Mr. Lancer called for Allison.  
"No problem." She replied with a smile and a small wave as we continued down the aisle.  
"Is it just me, or is there something odd about that girl?" I heard Sam ask as we stepped onto the sidewalk, well out of the subject's earshot. I watched as she skipped the last step and jumped from the bus.  
"Not really," Tucker replied with a shrug.  
"Why do you think something seems off?" I asked. Sam's intuition had helped save my butt quite a few times.  
"I dunno." Sam had a far-off look on her face and a weird tone in her voice.  
"Whatever it is, get over it! We're at the pool." I gave Sam a playful shove and she snapped back to us from spacing out.  
"Yeah, guess you're right." She sent a wicked grin my way, then. Oh, no.  
"Last one in is the Box Ghost!" She hollered as her flip-flops clapped against the pavement.  
"No fair!" Tucker screeched and we set off after her.

Sam stuck out her tongue at us as we finally made it to the door. Tucker was panting, Sam was smirking, and I felt like I'd been cheated. But at least I got there before Tucker.  
"No-" * _wheeze_ * "-running!" Mr. Lancer wheezed from behind us, breathing even harder than Tucker. He had exerted himself so much that I could hear his heartbeat from two yards away. Ghost hearing.  
"You okay, Mr. Lancer?" I asked as I went over and gave him a small pat on the back. The overweight teacher couldn't reply and instead doubled over with his hands on his knees. After a minute he managed to catch his breath and straightened up with a gulp.  
"No running." He said somewhat indignantly and went back to the rest of the students, who'd left their assigned groups and separated into their cliques.  
"Know what that was about?" I looked back at Sam and Tuck, who just shrugged.

"Have either of you been here before?" Sam seemed a bit apprehensive, I wondered why.  
"Of course! You haven't?" I replied curiously as we went to join Mr. Lancer, who'd started calling for his group.  
"Well, y'know, we have a pool in my house."  
"It's statements like that that remind me just how loaded you are," Tuck announced with a chuckle. He got a punch to his shoulder for his efforts. I laughed at Sam's reaction and I got one too. It didn't really have any effect, Sam does it all the time. She stood with her arms crossed and a slight redness to her cheeks. We got to where the teachers had gathered the students and I got a proper look around.

The high vaulted ceiling looked like what you might find in a Walmart, and was painted white. Pipes crossed this way and that, going who knows where. The labels on the sides were mostly too small to be made out. The walls were a light tan and then changed to a darker brown a few feet above the floor. The blue and red speckled carpet was faded, showing how many people walked through that lobby. Off to our left was an area of black chairs and a TV that hung high above the ground, suspended by supports from the ceiling. The room was one huge, open space. Behind us was the reception desk, where a few computers and a pamphlet stand sat. In front of us was a set of glass doors which showed a basketball court, and a long hallway branched off to our right. Slightly behind us and to the right was another set of glass doors, which showed the pool.

"Changing rooms are that way. Move it, people!" I heard Mr. Lancer complain. From where I was standing I could see numerous eye-rolls and grumblings as the teens grabbed their bags they'd set on the floor. We set off after them, but for some reason, Sam seemed uneasy.  
"You okay?" Tucker asked. He'd noticed it too.  
"I just- I don't know what to expect." Sam pointed out. Of course, she'd never been here before.  
"It's fine, Sam. Just follow what all the other girls do." I assured her as we split paths and Sam went to the girls' changing rooms.  
"If you say so..." I heard Sam grumble under her breath as she followed the stream led by Valerie.  
"Think she'll be okay?" I heard Tuck ask as we were practically shoved through the door.  
"It's just a changing room. What could go wrong?"  
"Why do I have the feeling that you just jinxed us. Again." Tucker glared. Ok, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words.

The bathroom-esque changing rooms weren't much to look at. there were rows of locker to the left. a short hallway with about six sinks to the right, and ten about ten stalls. The last two on either end having a shower or a toilet. The tan color pallet stayed the same, but the details, such as the lockers and the doors, were blue. The stalls that didn't have toilets just had curtains. Upon closer inspection, two hairdryers were there for people to use by the sinks. Bit unsafe if you ask me, but I'm not the one who designed it. There was chaos as everyone scrambled in to change in the stalls. A few already wore their swim trunks and just put their stuff in a locker. None of the lockers actually had, well, locks. A few guys had their own, and I think I saw one geek use a bike lock. I hadn't thought that far, so I just chose one on the end closest to the pool entrance. Tuck chose the one next to me. I grabbed my swim trunks and my tank-top. I didn't want anyone to see how much ghost-hunting and training has paid off. Or the few scars I've gotten from fighting in human form when needed. There's one especially damming scar in the middle of my chest from the time HE stuck one of Clockwork's medallions in my chest and it had to be practically torn out. I chill ran down my back at the thought. I really was lucky that Vlad chose not to rip apart my ghost and human halves. And so Tuck and I ended up of hovering by the sinks, waiting for the mad dash for one of the stalls after somebody walked out.  
"You ok?" Tuck asked. I was about the reply when the sound of a curtain opening sounded in my ears and Tuck raced over to it and almost ran into the person coming out. He quickly disappeared behind the curtain. I sent an eyeroll at that. Tuck probably just wanted to get out of here sooner to see if Paulina was wearing a bikini or not. Another screech of plastic on plastic sounded and someone else walked out. The crowd had died down a bit and i was able to get in without knocking anyone over like tuck. Seems like ghosthunting paid off for him, too.

Everyone was in and out of there pretty quickly. There was a door across from the entrance to the hallway that led right to the pool. True to the stereotype, none of the girls were out yet. And so it was just a bunch of guys standing by the water and soon a steady trickle of girls started to walk out of the other changing room. Finally Sam walked out and I saw her eyes dart to the pool. She walked over to me and tuck but her eyes stayed on the pool.  
"Pretty cool, isn't it?" I asked. The water had a blue tint to it and the surface was still. The only disturbances were the occasional drops where someone stuck their hand in.  
"Yeah. It's so.."  
"Relaxing?" I finished Sam's sentence. She nodded and continue to look at the water. It was a bit mesmerising. I looked over to see hat Tuck was looking at something completely different. As were most of the boys in our grade. Paulina had just walked out, and she was in a bikini. Surprise, surprise.

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AN: Let me know if you have any ideas on where this could go!


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